Treacherous
by SniperCT
Summary: Elsa has been in love with Honeymaren for months but she has no idea that Maren feels the same way. But with the new year, maybe one of them can finally make the first move. They just have to stop tripping over their own feet first.


"This is a bad idea," Honeymaren said, coming to a stop outside the large house.

Her brother rolled his eyes and started to push her inside. "It'll be fine, I don't know what you're worrying about."

"You didn't drop a printer on her foot!"

"Nothing broke," Ryder said. "I mean, except the printer. And she was nice enough to pay for it."

Maren sighed heavily. "Thanks for reminding me of my guilt. Why are we here again?"

"Because Anna throws the best New Years Parties. You really should have come last year."

"I try to avoid any situations that involve alcohol and being around Elsa," Maren muttered. But it was too late now, she was inside. There were maybe a dozen people milling about the first floor, dancing to music or chatting or stuffing their faces with little snacks.

"Ooh, lutefisk!" Ryder scrambled over to the table and Maren rushed after him.

"Open that and you're walking home."

"Nah, Anna will let us crash here tonight if we can't drive."

Maren looked at the clock, sighed, then walked over to where someone was pouring drinks. She smiled warily at Kristoff. "Hey."

"You made it!" Kristoff grinned at her, then shoved a cup into her hand. "Try this, it's my own invention."

It was chilled, and kind of sweet with a minty bite to it. Maren found herself liking it. "What do you call it?"

"The Ice Queen. Oh and speaking of…" He waved at someone behind Maren. "Elsa!"

There were times that Honeymaren didn't entirely understand the nickname; Elsa was probably one of the kindest, warmest people she'd ever met. But then she'd remember how standoffish Elsa could be with people she didn't know.

Elsa was wearing a low cut blouse and a long, flowing blue skirt that Anna liked to call an 'earth-mother' skirt, for reasons that eluded Honeymaren. She went still when Elsa brushed against her, the touch of her hand on Maren's back lingering. God, she was so hot.

Maren quickly knocked back the rest of her drink and set the cup down. Elsa took one from her brother-in-law. "I'm glad you could make it, Maren."

She sounded tense, and she looked tense. Against her better judgement, Maren rested her hand on Elsa's back and asked, "You okay?"

"Just have to make it a couple more hours," Elsa said, taking a sip. Her back was stiff under Maren's hand, though she leaned back against it.

"You know Anna understands if you need to bail," Kristoff suggested.

"I'm fine."

"That's your second drink already," he pointed out, and Maren frowned.

"I've been nibbling."

Maren shook her head. "You know what you need? Some air."

"That's a good idea," Kristoff agreed. "Maren, why don't you take Elsa out to the patio."

"Me? I mean, of course." Maren nodded and guided a not entirely unwilling Elsa through the party, the kitchen, and out onto the back patio. The sky had become overcast, and there was a chill in the air.

"Smells like snow," Elsa murmured. She leaned on the railing, hanging her head.

Maren rubbed her back. She'd noticed in the eighteen months that she'd known her, that Elsa and large gatherings typically didn't get along well, or for very long. Elsa tried, though. For her sister, or her friends, but unless she was near one of them, she didn't exactly have a good time. Maren belatedly realized that she was one of the people Elsa gravitated to when she needed that rock.

It made her heart ache, and her nerves fray. Elsa was so close that Maren wanted to be swept away by her. This was not an unusual feeling for her and part of the reason she'd accidentally dropped that printer.

At some point she'd fallen in love with her and could no longer remember what it was like to not have those feelings. A thousand words suddenly flooded through her head, but instead all she said was, "New snow for the new year, I guess."

"I'm sorry. I hate being a buzzkill." Elsa lifted her head and looked at her; in the light streaming out of the windows she looked positively radiant. "You should go back inside. I'll be fine in a few minutes. You were right, I just needed air."

"Honestly, I'd much rather hang out with you." Which was true any day of the week.

Dropping printers not withstanding.

Elsa smiled. "Thank you. It's not that I don't enjoy people, but sometimes it gets a little suffocating when there's too many. Like going shopping - all those crowds of people!"

"You're an introvert, it's okay," Maren assured her. Hesitantly, she slipped her arm around Elsa's waist, and after a moment, Elsa leaned in and laid her head on her shoulder.

_This was fine._

Honestly, Elsa was proud of herself for handling it this well. She'd never been able to put a finger on what exactly it was about lots of people, but it always made her uneasy. She only had so many socializing spoons to get her through any given day and she'd rather reserve them for her friends and family.

But Anna loved throwing parties. And Elsa loved Anna, so she was willing to indulge her a few times a year. As long as she had three weeks notice to mentally prepare herself, anyway.

She'd almost forgotten about New Years, until Kristoff had mentioned he'd invited Ryder. And Elsa had asked if Honeymaren was coming before she'd even realized she was speaking and shortly after Elsa had realized she had a big problem.

She was _deeply_ in love with Honeymaren. Her easy-going nature, her sense of humor, the way she cared about others. Maren's eyes were a gorgeous, rich shade of brown and right now she smelled like flowers.

Elsa lifted her head from Maren's shoulder, and their faces were so close, their lips were so close, and there was a gravity between them that she _so_ wanted to give in to. It didn't even feel like a choice but an inevitability.

Did Maren feel the same way? Sometimes Elsa thought she did but she didn't want to be wrong, to say or do something that would be a mistake and ruin one of the few friendships she had. She gazed into Maren's eyes, hoping, almost _willing_ her to do something, say something. Give Elsa some sign that it was okay to take the next step.

But Maren just stared back and slowly, Elsa pulled away. Maren's eyes were deep, dark pools that followed her, dropping a little for too long not to be noticable. Elsa finished her drink and left the cup on the railing. She couldn't afford to be _wrong_, but she wasn't sure how much longer she could resist. "We should head back inside."

Something had shifted between them. Maren trailed Elsa through the party, trying to figure out what it was and why she was getting mixed signals. It couldn't possibly be that Elsa was into her, right?

But for just a moment, Maren had thought she was going to kiss her. Elsa had looked at her adoringly, and then had closed herself off.

Maybe she should have made the first move, but what if she was wrong? What if it was just wishful thinking and hormones and a too fast heart that made her see something that wasn't there?.

Maren loved Elsa too much to want to ruin what they had.

"This way." Maren guided Elsa towards the food rather than the drinks.

Elsa pouted at her. "If I didn't know better I'd think you're trying to keep me from getting drunk."

"That's exactly what I'm doing," Maren said, failing in her efforts to not stare at the pout. "You don't need to power drink to get through this. Anna wouldn't want that and I really don't. You don't drink that often so two drinks is probably enough."

The pout turned into a _face_, nose scrunched up cutely, and then Elsa sighed, "I hate when you're right."

Maren grinned at her. "Tell you what, let's load up some plates and retreat to a safe, quiet place."

"I'll let Anna know. I don't want to bail on her without giving her a heads up. You know the way right?"

"First door on the right after the stairs." Maren started loading up plates, paying special attention to the things she knew Elsa liked best. While that was generally chocolate, she also knew Elsa really liked those little rolled up cheese and meat things, so she stocked up on those too.

With plates stacked and after taking some bottled water from Kristoff, Maren made her way up the stairs. First door on the right, Elsa's room. Maren set the plates on the nightstand and looked around.

Elsa's room was a lot like Elsa; neat and organized and at first glance it looked rather cold and spartan. But look closer and there was personality.

A stuffed puffin peeked out from between the pillow and the wall. The walls had several posters, mostly abstract designs. Elsa's computer had a variety of sparkly stickers on the monitor and a snowman squeaky toy near the keyboard. Against the other wall near the window was a large cage, with three sleepy rats curled up in a hammock together.

On the dresser were pictures of Anna, Kristoff, and to Maren's surprise, herself. It was one of her and Elsa when they'd all gone to the beach. Maren was pretty sure that day had been a gay awakening for her.

She set the picture down and moved over to the cage, opening the door and reaching into scritch one of the rats on the head. It yawned and stretched, and then started licking her hand like she was the most delicious treat possible.

"I love when they do that. But now you're going to have to give them treats," Elsa said, closing the door behind her. She reached in and one of the others climbed up her arm to perch on her shoulder and nest in her hair.

It was adorable and Maren died a little. "Let's see if I remember. Olaf, Kai, and Bruni." She pointed at each rat in turn.

Olaf was an albino, pure white with pink eyes, and big floppy ears. Bruni was brown with white patches and Kai had a white body but brown 'hood' on his head and back.

"That's right. Here you go, Olaf. " Elsa picked up a bag of treats and held one up to the rat on her shoulder. He grabbed it and started nibbling. "Kristoff ever introduce you to Sven?"

Maren thought about the ferrett and smiled. "Yes. He almost has as much energy as my brother does."

"Anna wanted to call him Duke Weaselton but that was just silly." Elsa returned Olaf to the cage and handed the treats to Maren.

She made sure the other two got their treats, and when Elsa wasn't looking gave them all one more each. She latched the cage door shut, and rubbed her arm as she stood near the cage.

Elsa sat on the bed, and then patted the spot next to her. Maren stared, screwed her courage to the sticking place, and sat down close enough for their legs to touch.

"I made sure to steal most of the chocolates for you."

"My hero." Elsa nudged her shoulder against Maren's.

Picking up one of the chocolate pieces, Maren offered it to Elsa. But instead of just taking it from her, Elsa leaned in and took it into her mouth right from Maren's hand.

Maren stared at her fingers, skin still tingling from the softness of Elsa's lips. Dazed, she blindly reached for the plate of chocolates and groped around before grabbing a piece with caramel or something in it, and held it up for Elsa. "Another?"

"Yes…" Elsa held Maren's gaze this time.

"I have to be careful if I want to keep my fingers." Emboldened, Maren wiped at a smudge of chocolate on Elsa's lip with her finger.

Elsa's breath hitched, her hand sliding along Maren's knee. Was that the sign? Was all of this the sign? Maren absently sucked the chocolate off of her finger. "Wonder what they're saying, the two of us disappearing up here like … this. Elsa? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Elsa fumbled for one of the water bottles, face flushed. Maren looked down at her finger, and flushed too. Oops.

Elsa put the bottle back down, and worried her thumb on her palm. "I doubt they noticed. There's nothing to talk about, anyway."

The way Elsa looked at her, head down but eyes focused on Maren, made Maren speak before she could convince herself not to. "We could give them something to talk about."

"Like?" Elsa lifted her head, eyebrows raised and something sparking in her eyes.

Maren held hope in her chest like she was cradling a precious thing. "It's five minutes to midnight. You know, a kiss on New Years is kind of traditional."

Elsa's hand cupped the side of Maren's neck, then slid around to the back of her head, tangling her fingers into her hair as she leaned in and pressed her lips against Maren's. They were softer than Maren had fantasized about, warm and welcoming. Wrapping her arms around Elsa's waist, Maren kissed her back, feeling her smile and grinning into it as joy and relief surged through her.

"I know it's not midnight yet," Elsa whispered, forehead against Maren's, "but I really couldn't wait another five minutes."

"It's totally okay." Maren kissed her again, and then a third time, dizzy with giddiness. Elsa moved against her and the two fell onto their sides on the bed, laughing.

"Mm," Elsa murmured, lips brushing Maren's jaw before swooping in for another kiss that utterly swept her away.

Below her, Maren could hear the countdown to midnight. She pulled Elsa close against her as their kisses took them into the new year.


End file.
